The old Big Hill Leisure Pool still has some life in it yet, as thousands flocked to its lawn on Saturday for the Calgary Police Rodeo. This year’s rodeo was the 35th annual.

"It's the only police and fire rodeo in the world, believe it or not,” said Sgt. Michael Cavilla, the rodeo’s president. “There's nothing of it's kind anywhere else."

Cavilla said that the approximately 110 competitors come to Cochrane from all over western Canada.

"The unique thing is, it's all cops, fire and EMS getting on the animals,” he said about the day, which benefits both the Missing Children Society of Canada and the John Petropoulos Memorial Fund.

Saturday had everything one might find at a summer rodeo, including vendors, artisans, a one-acre children’s carnival and other performers like trick riders. It also featured some of the more atypical, like wild cow milking and bull poker (which, yes, involves both the playing of poker and a wild bull).

Cavilla said the rodeo attracts a wide range of experience.

"From never done it, to fairly accomplished rodeo cowboys in amateur circuits. It varies quite a bit,” he added. "There's going to be a few guys this year that have never been on the back of a bull, and they're getting on, and they're giving it a shot."

Regardless of experience, Cavilla explained there is one rule that all competitors abide by. "Rodeo's a sport where everybody helps everybody, it doesn't help what agency you're from."

While the Calgary Police Service were no doubt the hometown favourite, they invited to the rodeo agencies from all over the first responder spectrum. Competitors travelled to Cochrane to represent the likes of Corrections Canada, Sundre EMS and the Edmonton Fire Department, among others.

Constable Ben Todd drove down from Edmonton with his four-year-old son, Malcolm. The duo had a busy day, as both were there on behalf of the Edmonton Police Service as competitors.

After a little pronunciation help from his father, the younger Todd told the Times what event he was competing in that day. “Mutton bustin’,” he said. The rodeo favorite involves small children clinging on to comparatively large sheep for as long as they can as they dash across the arena.

“Look what I have,” Malcolm continued, proudly displaying the McDonald’s Happy Meal coupon he won for his ride on the sheep. “It was my first time in the rodeo.”

Like Malcolm, his father is not from a rodeo background.

"I learned last year at the rodeo,” the older Todd said. "The other boys said, 'You want to wrestle a steer?' And I said, 'Yes I do.' 'Do you want to go to Cochrane and do it?' 'Yes I do.'"

He chose to compete in the relatively beginner-friendly events of chute dogging (a version of steer wrestling where the competitor holds on to the steer from the moment of release) and wild cow milking.

“We ended up second last, but that’s okay,” said Constable Todd of the wild cow milking, adding that he headed into the competition with a specific tactic in mind.

"You really have to soothe the cow, make sure it knows you're its friend," Todd chuckled. “Be at one with the cow.”

Ben and Malcolm are already looking forward to 2018’s edition. "It's such an awesome, gorgeous event, and great people,” the older Todd said with a smile. “It's a beautiful venue. We're going to come back as much as we can."